Electric switch



2, 1924. 7 1,517,638 7 L. KELLNER ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April 6, 1 22 2Sheets-Sheet l anuemto'a lousffdlna" was. 2,

L. KELLNER ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3vwewtoz STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC swrrcnr.

Application filled April 6, 1922. Serial No. 550,090.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS KELLNER, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn,in the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in manually operable electricswitches, and particularly to switches of the quick make and quick breaktype, the object of the invention bein to provide a construction whichis efiicient in action and economical to manufacture.

' In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the switch showing thecircuit closed;

Fig. 2 a front elevation of the switch as shown in Fi 1;

Fig. 3 a side elevation of the switch showing the circuit open;

ig. 4 a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the switch, the circuitbeing closed;

Fig. 5a similar-view, the circuit being open;

Fig. 6 a plan view of the switch with the parts as shown inFig. 5;

Fig. 7 a perspective view of the main switch plate; i

Fig. 8 a perspective view of the two kickoff levers;

Fig. 9 a perspective view of the lower end of the switch lever;

Fig. 10 a partial side elevation showing a modified form of mounting forthe kickofi levers; and v Fig. 11 a front elevation of the two-piecekick-ofl' levers.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates the base plate,said plate being preferably H-shape in plan view. Secured to the centralportion or cross bar of the base plate is a pair of vertical parallelstandards 2. As shown in the drawings these standards are secured to thebase plate by screws 29, but it will be understood that they may beformed integral with the base plate and extend upwardly from theopposite parallel edges of the cross bar thereof. In each standard isformed a triangular aperture 3-, the side walls of said apertureinclining outwardly and downwardly, and the lower wall of said aperturebeing curved.

In the lower end of each standard is bearing points.

formed a slot 4 which extends into the aperture 3, said slots being openat their lower ends. The purpose of these slots is to permit the mainswitch plate to be passed upwardly into the aperture 3 when assemb ingthe parts, as will hereinafter be more fully described. The uppercontracted ends of the apertures 3 forms bearings for the switch plate,said plate rocking on said bearings and swinging back and forth in theapertures 3. Directly above the apertures 3 the standards are eachformed with the bearing aperture 5 adapted to receive the outward-turnedbearings 6 of the switch lever 7, said lever being mounted between thestandards and extending upwardly from its The upper end of the switchlever is provided with any suitable form of operating handle.

The main switch plate 8 is formed at its upper end with bearing portions9 adapted to fit in the bearing portions of the apertures 3. Upwardlyextending lugs 10 engage the inner surfaces of the standards 2 and holdthe switch plate against lateral movement through the apertures. Theside portions 11 of the switch plate fit or extend into the apertures 3and are adapted to engage the inclined walls 12 of said apertures, saidwalls forming stops to limit the swinging movement of the switch plate.The switch plate is also formed with the upwardly projecting portions13, said portions lying outside of the standards and carrying thecontact arms. The inner edges 14 of the extensions 13 lie close to theouter sides of the standards 2. The switch lever 7 is con-.

nected to the lower end of the main switch plate by a coil spring 15,said spring extending from a point below the bearings of the switchplate to a point above the bearings of the lever. The lower end of thelever and the upper part of the switch plate are cut away centrally topermit the spring to swing inwardly across the bearing points of saidparts; and the bearing point of the lever is vertically in line with thebearing point of the switch plate and said two hearing oints are locatedclose together. It is manifest that as the operating lever is swung fromone side to the other and the spring is carried over the bearing points,the switch plate will be snapped from one side of the apertures 3 to theother side thereof. It is also clear that the inclined crating theswitch.

1 thereof above the tween the standards and extends upwardly from thebearing portions; and the upper end of this body portion is curvedupwardly and inwardly, as at 19. Each kick-off lever is formed with twopairs of lugs 20 and 21' which extend downwardly below the bear-v ngportions 17. The lugs 21 fit closeto the mner surfaces of lugs 20 fitclose The lugs ada ted to ten in said p the standards 2, while the tothe outer sides thereof. 20 are so located that they are be engaged bythe upwardly exportions 13 of-the switch plate as ate is swung'from sideto side in op- The kick-off levers are so arranged that when the switchplate is in engagement with one of the stop walls 12 of the apertures 3the upper portion 13 bearings 9 will be in engagement with lugs 20 ofone of the kick-off levers and the operating lever will be in engagementwith the upper end of the other kick-ofl' lever. The kick-off levers maybe I pivoted in the standards in any suitable way.

As shown in the drawings the standards are formed with inwardlyextending slots 22, said slots being enlarged at their inner ends toreceive the bearings and to permit the kick-01f levers to have a limitedrotating movement.- To retain the levers in their properposition withinthe slots, cross pieces or abutments 23 are connected to the standardsand extend across the slots. 7 It is manifest, however, that thesekick-off levers may be mounted in the standards in any suitable manner.Each kick-01f lever is cut out at its central lower portion, as at 24,so as not to interfere with the lateral swinging of the 7 spring '15.

against which the upper ends which the contact arms The portions-13 ofthe switch plate are provided with outwardly extending lugs to 25 aresecured in any suitable manner. These contact arms 25 are adapted toengage contact plates 26 carried by the base. To the contact plates 26the circuit wires 28 are connected; As illustrated in the drawings theswitch is provided with two sets of contact arms 25 and two sets ofcontact plates 26 to adapt the switch for use as a double-pole switch.It is manifest however that the switch may be adapted for use as asingle-pole switch.

The upper ends of the standards are pro vided with inwardly extendinglugs 27 of the kick-0E levers are adapted to engage, said lugs form'-move the switch to its open position, as

shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the lever T is moved over toward the left hand,thereby swinging the spring 15 across the pivots or bearings of theswitch lever and the switch plate. lVhen the lever is brought intoengagement with the upper end of the hick-011' lever the said lever isswung on its bearings and its lugs 20 will force the upper end of theswitch plate inwardly toward the right hand. This will throw the lowerend of the switch plate toward the left hand sulliciently to bring thelower end of the spring across the dead center oi the bearings 6 and 9of the switch lever and switch plate, with the result that the switchplate will be snapped quickly from its on position to its oil position,shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The kickoff lever will be manually moved throu hthe movement of the switch lever; and tie movement of the kick-ofi leverwill result in a slight movement of the switch arms, but said movementwill not be sufficient to disconnect the switch arms from the contactplates 26 and the circuit will not be broken until the spring 15 snapsthe switch plate to its off position. The kick-off lever will swingoutwardly at its upper end until it engages the stop lugs 27, said lugstaking the thrust and limiting the outward swiuging movement of thekick-off lever and switch lever.

Each of the kick-off levers, as shown in Figs. 1 to 9 of the drawin s,is formed of a single piece. It is obvious iowever that they may be madein two pieces and connected to the standards by means of key-hole slots,as'illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11.

iVhat I claim is 1. An electric switch comprising a sup port,'a switchplate pivote in said support and swinging in an aperture therein thewalls of said aperture forming rigid stops for the switch plate in itson and off positions, a switch lever pivoted in said support adjacentthe pivot: oi the switch plate, the switch plate and lever et-ctendingin opposite directions from their pivots, a coil spring connecting theswitch plate to the lever and arranged to pass across the pivotal pointsof said two parts, and contact arms carried by the switch plate.

' 2. An electric switch comprising a support, a switch plate pivotedtherein, a switch ots by the switch lever,

plate in its on and oil ofl levers pivoted in the support at oppositesides of the switch lever, said kick-0E levers being adapted to beengaged on one side of their pivots by the switch plate and adapted tobe engaged on the other side of their pivand contact arms carried by theswitch plate. I

3. Ali electric switch comprising a support, a switch plate pivotedtherein, a switch lever pivoted in said support adjacent the pivot ofthe switch plate the switch plate and the lever extending in oppositedirections from their pivots, a coil spring connecting the switch plateto the said lever and arranged to pass across the pivotal points of saidtwo parts, rigid stops for the switch positions, contact arms carried bythe switch plate, and a pair of kick-oft levers-pivoted in the supportand adapted to be engaged by the switch plate on the opposite side ofthe pivot of said plate holding the switch plate pressed against fromthe spring connection and adapted to be engaged and moved by the switchlever to swing the switch plate on its pivot.

4. An electric switch comprising a pair of parallel supports formed withcoincident triangular apertures, a switch plate mounted in said supportsthe contracted ends of said apertures forming bearings for said switchplate and the diverging walls of said apertures forming rigid stops forsaid plate, a switch lever pivoted in said supports adjacent thebearings of the switch plate, a coil spring connected to the switchplate and to the lever and arranged to pass across the pivotal points ofsaid two parts said spring its bearings, and contact arms carried by theswitch plate.

5. An electric switch comprising a pair of parallel supports formed withcoincident triangular apertures, a switch plate mounted in said supportsthe contracted ends of said apertures forming bearings for said switchplate and the diverging walls of said apertures r'orming rigid stops forsaid plate, a switch lever pivoted in said supports adjacent thebearings of the switch plate, a coil spring connected to the switchplate and to the lever and arranged to pass across the pivotal points ofsaid two parts said spring holding the switch plate pressed against itsbearings, contact arms carried by the switch plate, and a kick-01f leveron each side of the switch lever and pivoted in the support andcooperating with the switch lever to swing the switch plate on itsbearings.

6. An electric switch comprising a pair of parallel supports formed withcoincident port and cooperating triangular apertures, a switch platemounted in said supports the contracted ends of said apertures formingbearings for said switch plate and the diverging walls of said aperturesforming rigid stops for said plate, a switch lever pivoted in saidsupports adjacent the bearings of the switch plate, a coil springconnected to the switch plate and to the lever and arranged to passacross the pivotal points of said two parts said spring holding theswitch plate presse against its bearings, contact arms carried by theswitch plate, a kick ofl lever on each side of the switch lever andpivoted in the supwith the switch lever to swing the switch plate on itsbearings, and a rigid stop for each of the kick-0E levers.

7. An electric switch comprising a pair of parallel supports formed withcoincident triangular apertures, a switch plate mounted in said supportsthe contracte ends of said apertures forming bearings for said switchplate and the diverging walls of said apertures forming rigid stops forsaid plate, a pair of lugs formed on the switch late between thesupports and adjacent t e hearing portions of the switch plate andadapted to engage the supports to prevent lateral movement of the switchplate on its bearings, aswitch lever pivoted in said supports adjacentthe bearings of the switch plate,

a coil spring connected to the switch plate and to the lever andarranged to pass across the pivotal points of said two parts said springholding the switch plate pressed against its bearings, and contact armscarried by the switch plate.

8. An electric switch comprising a vertical support, a switch platepivoted in said support and extending downwardly from its pivotal point,a switch lever pivoted in sai support directly above the pivot of theswitch plate and extending upwardly from its pivot, a coil springconnected to the switch plate below its pivot and connected to theswitch lever above its pivot and arranged to pass across the pivotalpoints of said two parts, a kick-off lever on each side of the switchlever and pivoted in the support above the pivot of the switch plate,the upper ends of said kick-0E levers being adapted to be engaged by theswitch lever, upwardly extended projections formed on the switch plateand adapted to enga e the kick-0E levers below their pivots, an contactarms carried by the switch plate.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

LOUIS KELLNER.

